Hello, darlings. Skipped many hundreds of posts, read the last thirty.

I hate work. That is all.

{{{ smonster }}}

with that, I need to go to work.

I started the low-carb diet again last Wednesday, after seeing photos of myself from the F2F... lost four pounds already.

Low-carb is the only thing that's ever worked for me for deliberate weight loss. (I 'accidentally' lost 20lbs when I stopped working for a nut. It must have been the sufficient sleep and lack of stress that did it because I was unemployed and eating all kinds of crap I never ate usually.) I felt good, slept better, was energetic, and had good fingernails for the only time in my life when I was eating meat, veggies, eggs, some nuts, some beans, some fruit, some hard cheese, no simple carbs and only occasional complex carbs. The main problem was that it was boring and I missed crunchyness (which is why Atkins people get so rabid about pork rinds).

Now that I'm not eating meat, however, effective low-carb is proving pretty close to impossible. This is a big drag.

The reason most diets work is that when you are on a diet, you are paying more attention to what you eat, which leads to eating less. The specific rules of the actual diet in question are almost entirely irrelevant.

I wish this were true in my experience but it is not. Losing weight without meat as a staple is proving very difficult even if I eliminate all sugar, minimize cheese, have lots of produce, and only eat whole grains. "Trudy's body drops weight when its full of animal protien" just seems to be the fact of it. I might try "mostly veggies and eggs" for a couple of weeks and see how that goes.

In the past, cutting out sugar entirely and otherwise eating at will has worked for very slow weight loss or maintaining a large weight loss. It's easier for me than SOME sugar because I'm a junkie for the stuff. No Sugar deffinately makes eat less compulsively in general. It is also boring and harder for me to do now as the fake sugars that used to be fine now make my tum unhappy. Even Coke Zero is icky to me now (SOB!!!) I might go with eliminating corn syrup and see if I'm less of a junkie that way -- this seems entirely feasable.

I know it's a crazy question, but can you guilt trip family (who are wanting the party) to help cover the costs, just the amount that it goes over your budget)?

You have to remember that Drew's mom is really hurt that we're eloping in the first place, and this would hardly be a typical reception. If she offers money, of course we will gratefully accept, but there will be no guilt-tripping. I'm going to feel lucky if she even decides it's a good idea.

My parents have no money to give, so I wouldn't take it from them anyway.

I am so lusting after this place, though.

Now that I'm not eating meat, however, effective low-carb is proving pretty close to impossible. This is a big drag.

Why aren't you eating meat now?

(Oh, and somewhere around here, I've got a stack of a bunch of vegetarian South Beach recipes. Want them?)

I am so lusting after this place, though.

I think they should let you have it for free because you're pretty.

(What? It's worth a shot!)

Why aren't you eating meat now?

Stopped liking it. Very suddenly it started tasting "dead".

It still smells wonderful and the flavor is a clear and fond memory. But when I take a bite the "mmmmm" is quickly squelched by "gee, this is dead."

(Oh, and somewhere around here, I've got a stack of a bunch of vegetarian South Beach recipes. Want them?)

Oh gosh yes!

Man, we had such an awesome meal last night, I was just finding myself reflecting upon it dreamily, so I thought I would share. We poached the other side of the cod that Tom filleted on Sunday and then made yummy cod cakes with parsley and garlic scapes and homemade tartar sauce. My contribution to the meal was a slow braised kale with caramelized onions, thick slice farm bacon, and whole garlic cloves. It was so good- the braising liquid reduced down so that it was like a velvety sauce.

After dinner, had some of Tom's homemade brandied pear and caramel pecan ice cream. Yum!

We still have some formed but unfried cod cakes left over- Tom vacuum sealed them and put them in the fridge till we worked out what to do with them. Do you think they would freeze OK or not? they have the bread crumb/saltine crumb/egg binder thing going on. If not, we will cook them off tonight and have in sandwiches or something.

IME, fish cakes freeze pretty well.